Crimson Snow
by AnnaDax
Summary: This is a Prequel to the Sequel of "The Madness of an Enchanting Obsession" fanfic. The story is finished, further updates will follow in the actual Sequel. For anyone who has not read The Madness fic, this may not make much sense. The story takes place 3 months after the ending of the original story.
1. Chapter 1

Three months had passed and Hinata was still not used to this.

Not the running. She had no problems with it, with the constant hiding and secret living that they had to endure.

It was the murders that she was not comfortable with. But was it understandable. As he had explained multiple times, it was simply basic survival.

They were in a foreign land with no particular place to go to. They were strangers that were so easily recognizable, it was hard to be around people. Even the harbor village and the other places they had visited before were now forbidden for them. They were wanted. There was a price for their heads.

Maybe not for hers. But they knew she was with him. They knew he had an accomplice. And she didn't mind. For some reason it made her proud to know that she was considered a part of his team.

But right now she had to stay concentrated. Her eyes hurt and her breathing was uneven, the winter had gone into its peak and it was colder than the Hyuuga could believe. Rubbing her hands together, she tried to stay focused. Her kekkei genkai was weakening and she couldn't let this happen. He had not returned yet and there was no sign of him at all.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata tried to calm down. She rubbed her temples with her frozen fingers and looked ahead. Miles away there was only the whiteness of the snow. Her headache was getting out of control. And the worry she had for him was not helping. He had never been away for so long.

The girl closed her eyes and tried to calm herself once more. She had to stay calm. With her head pounding with pain, she stood up slowly and headed to the door.

She was waiting for him at their new hiding place. It was situated deep in the mountains, on a high cliff between some sharp stone walls that concealed the small hut quite conveniently. The man had gone for provisions or at least he had claimed so. And it was taking him too long.

Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear the loud thud in her ears. Thankfully her long hair provided her some comfort. But they had hidden here quite unexpectedly. Her sweater and cloak were just not enough for this vicious weather.

Rubbing her temples harder, she made it to the door but dared not open it. She had to conceal her presence. No one could know she was there. With a sigh she took a step back and went to sit on a chair. Debating whether or not to go and search for him, she let her face hide in her palms and tried clearing her mind. Could she feel his chakra? No. She was not a sensory type. But she had to do something. This was just taking too long…

She wasn't sure how much time she had spent like this. At a point she felt the cold air blow in her face and jumped up. The door was open. The clear grayish-white winter sky could be seen. But something else attracted her attention.

A hooded figure stood on the doorway, his hand still placed on the knob. Looking at her, he slowly took a step forward and closed the door, not making a single sound.

Uchiha Sasuke took his hood off with a sharp move, revealing his black hair, which had grown again and she loved it like that. But there was something strange in his eyes. Was it pain?

Anger.

He knelt before her, raising her chin with his fingers. His crimson eyes looked around the small space before returning to her white ones. Not saying a word he leaned in to inspect her face.

"What is wrong?" His voice was low, a gorgeous whisper. But there was worry in it. She was slowly learning to find the faint signs of emotions in him.

"I was worried for you."

"You used your Byakugan too much. Look at you…" Raising her chin higher he leaned in even further. She could feel his warm, calm breath on her face and the sensation of it was amazing, it was bringing her warmth. "We talked about this."

"You cannot go missing for half a day and expect me to stay calm and do nothing."

Pulling back he sat on the ground before her and smirked, looking away. "At least you had the wits to stay here and not look for me."

"Precisely."

His black gaze returned to her. "Any trouble?"

"None. I think this place is as safe as it can get."

"Don't get your hopes too high. There are patrols nearby. We would need to leave soon. At sunset, to be exact."

"Ah," she noted and looked through the dirty little window on her right. There were a few hours until the sun went down.

The Uchiha stood up and went to the table in the corner of the room, next to the haystack that had to be considered a bed. Taking the satchel off his shoulder he started pulling things out of it, waiting for the girl to reach him. When she finally did, he turned around, leaning on the table, his arms folded on his chest.

Her white, curious eyes were tired. She was pale. Not enough food, not enough rest. He had to think of something before she got sick. If this happened things could go very bad. It was practically impossible for him to find a doctor here without risking too much.

"I have something for you," he started, trying to distract himself out of this scenario. He took something from the table and gave it to her.

Her slim arms took it gently and unfolded it. It was big but light. And it turned out to be a jacket. A black one, fluffy and with some kind of animal fur on the neck, hood and in the ends of the sleeves. She took off her cloak and put it on. It was big for her, it would probably suit him better, but the immediate warmness it brought her made her want to cry. It was perfect.

"Thank you," she noted, smiling at the man. His face did not change from his blank expression but it was clear to her that he was proud of this finding. Fixing her cloak over it, he turned to the table again. A loaf of bread was handed to her. Stiff from the cold, she barely managed to break it and give the bigger piece to him. He rolled his eyes to but knew well that arguing was pointless. She could be amazingly stubborn. And he loved it.

Biting into the tasteless thing, they stared at each other in silence. At a point Sasuke put away his lunch and took the girl by the free arm, dragging her closer. She gave him a questioning look, but he took her shoulders and spun her around.

She was already used to this kind of behaviors of his. He was a man of few words and often acted rather than explaining. So she let him wrap his arms around her and leaned on his chest, enjoying how warm it felt on her back.

"I have something else for you," he added after a long moment of silence. She looked at him with the corner of her eye to see him dig in his pocket. His fist rose before her eyes and unfolded.

A ring lay in the center of his palm. A small, silver ring, so elegant that she was mesmerized to the point of forgetting how to move. Slowly, the man took her left hand and raised it as well. He put the jewelry on her ring finger and marveled at it for a moment. It suited her perfectly.

The girl turned around to meet his blank expression. She opened her mouth but could not find the right words to say.

"Happy birthday," he said, his tone cold.

She opened her mouth again, but still couldn't speak. The headache was back with full force and suddenly she realized her eyes could no longer function properly. In the darkness her vision seemed to fade faster. She could no longer see his face, only blackness.

"Hinata," she heard his voice, but it appeared distant, like he was a mile away. Her body felt heavy. Some strange warmth touched her face before she felt her feet give in.

Fortunately, his hands were still tied around her waist when this happened. Sasuke stared at the girl in his arms as she parted her lips not saying a thing. Although fixed on him, her eyes were not concentrated, it was as if she did not see him at all.

"Hinata," he called again, pulling her closer, feeling as she was losing balance. Her head drifted back as if she was inspecting something interesting on the ceiling, and a red stain made its path from her nose, down to the corner of her lips, reaching her chin.

Why was she having a nosebleed? Had he shocked her that much?

No. This was something else. His Sharingan moved rapidly as he inspected her chakra flow. It was uneven. Flickering. This was not good. In the end the girl did lose her balance, but he had picked her up already, headed to the bed. Leaving her on it, he pulled away and inspected her with his eyes again. But he could not understand what was happening. It was the first time he saw her chakra being like this…

Her eyes closed but her eyebrows were knotted. She was in pain. Kneeling on the ground, he went behind her and put her head in his lap, leaning in so their foreheads could touch.

Forcing all the chakra he could gather after all the fights he had earlier in the day, he started distributing it slowly, sharing it with her just as she had taught him recently. And this appeared to help her. She was conscious. Her hand slowly drifted to touch his cheek but her movements were weak.

"Are you sick?" he whispered.

She barely managed to shake her head in deny.

"You are lying."

"Only… because I know that you will ditch me if I get sick."

Her voice was so weak that it frightened him, and yet he smirked. "Of course I will. So start getting better."

Staying like that for a while, Sasuke felt her shift in his arms, moving her head so she could look at him. Although blurry, her eyes could focus on his handsome face again.

"Let me stand," she requested. It took him some time to decide if this was a good idea, but in the end helped her sit up and drew her closer, holding her in his arms so that her face was buried in his neck.

"Did you hate it that much?" he asked.

She pulled away and took to staring at her left hand. "It is beautiful."

"Then what is wrong with you?"

"I just love you too much," she explained. She was so happy to see him safe and well that tears rose into her eyes. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his cold ones, and enjoyed the way he responded, gripping her tightly, playing with her senses like only he could.

* * *

The evening came quickly. They had decided to have some rest and get some sleep. But Sasuke had awoken with the setting sun and had risen up, supporting himself on his elbow, towering over her. Colder than ever, Hinata stiffened from the sudden change of temperature.

She managed to fix her position and quickly hid her face in his chest. They staid like that for a moment. The girl loved the way he dug his hand in her hair.

Then the moment ended. They had to hurry. Checking their surroundings, the Hyuuga made sure no one was spying on them. It was clear for them to leave. They walked out the small hut, squinting their eyes due to the coarse evening wind.

It was not safe for them to travel on his Hawk summon. People here already knew of this method of transportation they used and kept a wary eye on their skies. So they quickly headed down a steep road into the forest that awaited them in the foot of the mountain.

They kept a quick pace in complete silence. The man walked before her, and she scouted with her white eyes. However, the pounding ache in her temples was making her dizzier with every passing minute.

Darkness was engulfing her. Shaking her head she stood still, rubbing her eyes. In a moment she felt her palms being forcefully removed from her face. A crimson gaze was fixed on her.

"Do not rub your eyes."

"They hurt."

"Then give them a rest. I will take it from here. Besides-"

But he did not finish. A whistling sound rang in the air. And yet, Sasuke was fast enough to duck, dragging her to the ground as well. A second sound followed and a long arrow made of some shining metal dug in his shoulder.

The man stood up and moved his eyes to the object sticking out of his body. True annoyance had filled his face. He gripped the arrow and tore it out of his shoulder without even dignifying this with a facial expression.

"Stand up. We have been found," he ordered, not even turning to look at Hinata.

The girl followed. However, as soon as she rose, the headache hit her with a blast. She struggled to stand her ground, but in the end managed to take a defensive position. Veins appeared on her temples.

"Seven men," she explained. "Two up front, one behind us. The rest are on both our sides."

The Uchiha did not say a word. He took out his Sword of Kusanagi and held it in his right hand.

They stood still. The others were not attacking. Were they evaluating their targets? Were they simply observing? In a moment all became clear. All seven men attacked absolutely simultaneously.

Sasuke easily slashed one of them and headed towards another one. Hinata spun quickly, creating a vortex that saved her from a few iron arrows. She had to take the man with the bow first of all. Jumping ahead, she blinked, casting away the pounding pain she felt and landed before the attacker. With a shaking hand he tried to aim at her, but it was too late. Using a Gentle Palm Fist technique, she smashed his wooden weapon, then landed her palm on his chest. He flew back, finally dropping dead on the ground.

By the time she turned her eyes to the Uchiha, he had murdered a total of four men. However, one of the two left was giving him a hard time. He was an experienced fighter. Hinata saw a golden chain on his neck and something hidden underneath his shirt. Surely this was one of those medallions.

And they had to fight plainly. Nothing too hasty as too much chakra use could lead to them being tracked and found by others. Maybe it was her overuse of her kekkei genkai that had resulted in them being discovered now.

Shaking her head again, the girl headed towards the Uchiha, her palms glowing in blue. She felt blood on her face, indicating yet another nose bleed. That damn headache. But it would be over soon.

She was a few feet away when something happened. She was not sure what it was though. It felt warm on her back, just between her shoulder-blades. Suddenly she saw Sasuke flying by her. No. She was the one flying. And she crashed.

Her back hit a tree so hard that she bit her tongue and coughed, choking on the blood that filled her mouth. Complete darkness had fallen on her and she understood that she could no longer see. A strange wetness touched her senses, headed from the back of her head down her neck. The Hyuuga heard a few muffled sounds. Felt a few strange sensations. Then complete lightness took hold of her.

* * *

Sasuke slowly advanced upon the medallion-bearing attacker. He could not use too much of his chakra but he liked fighting like that. It was fun playing with the man, toying with him, making him think he had a chance.

Suddenly he heard a zapping sound. Lightning attack had hit someone. He turned his head on the side and froze.

Hinata flew in the air, her long dark hair like a vale of thick smoke around her ghostly-white face. Her pale eyes were barely open. She smashed into a tree with so much force that her scull crashed with a very clear sound.

Before she could fall on the ground he had already caught her. He was fast, one of the fastest shinobi to have lived. But he had failed to notice the lightning-user that lurked in the shadows. There were three more men with him. The girl had not seen them. Either they were very good at concealing themselves, or her Byakugan had failed her miserably. This explained why she was struck in the first place.

His mind was frantically making the calculations and explanations for what had just happened, but his onyx eyes were opened wide, staring at her face. Her eyes were closed, there was blood on her chin and below her nose. His hand that held her above the back of her neck was strangely warm.

Sasuke parted his lips. He had moved his fingers to see them covered in a thick layer of blood. The snow on the ground below the girl was red. His clothes were soaked with the dark liquid. She was bleeding heavily. She was hurt. They had hurt her.

Something crept in the back of his mind, slowly spreading its cold hands over his sanity. He tried to blink, but his eyes stood fixed on her, wide open.

Panic. It was panic that overwhelmed him. His fingers were shaking. His lips were trembling. He called her name, trying to figure out a way to wake her up.

But he closed his eyes, listening to the men approaching. Taking a deep breath he cast the dreadful feeling away. No time to be irrational now. He was never irrational.

Standing up with the Hyuuga in his arms, the man turned around to face his attackers who were already too close. They would strike him altogether at any moment. They were six from what he could count.

But it did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

Hinata's head rested just below his neck. Her broken scull poured out her blood and warmed his cold chest. She was light. Too light. She was sick. He had failed to notice this in time.

But it did not matter. All that mattered was his anger, his complete madness, her utter and absolute hate for these pathetic, little puny men that though they could measure their strength with his.

They couldn't.

The air in the small clearing buzzed with the Uchiha's chakra. A purple giant filled the surroundings, transparent but enormous. The creature changed its appearance a few times. The foreign men, simple bounty-hunters watched as the skeleton turned into a heavily armored beast. It held a long sword, glowing in the darkness.

And the same sword moved. It slashed through the air, cutting a few oak trees like butter. One of the men tried backing out of its reach but it was too late. His body was cut in half. His blood soaked in the snow.

The attackers could barely move. They watched the young man walk, headed to them. He was surrounded by a transparent ribcage of the same purple spirit matter. His pace was calm but death poured from his very being. He held the dead woman in his arms, his red eyes fixed on them.

The man with the medallion yelled. He knew of these eyes. The ones that were black, then red, then red and black in the same time, and strange in form. He knew of them from the stories that were passed in the Northern regions. But it was too late.

Screaming, one of the men on his side burst into black flames. The hunter fell on the ground and rolled, but nothing could extinguish this. It was over for them, they were done for.

They started running. But it was no use. Another man cried in pain and screamed for minutes as the dark fire slowly consumed his flesh. The purple giant caught another and simply squeezed the life out of him with its great fist.

The bastard was to close. They were all dead. His only chance was to hide between the trees and to hope the giant could not reach in and…

It grabbed him. Squeezing him painfully, he cried and struggled to break free, but to no avail. Slowly, he was carried by the purple monstrosity. Disassembled bodies lay everywhere around him. Black flames still shimmered in the dim light.

The fist held him tightly, he could barely breathe. He was moved further until his eyes met the ones of the black-haired man. Suddenly, he felt a pain shoot through his head. Darkness fell around him. Was this hypnosis? Where was he? The pair of red eyes was all he could see.

"_Who are you?" _

The sound of the man's voice came roaring in his head. Yes, definitely hypnosis, but unlike any other. The words echoed painfully in his ears.

"We are bounty-hunters," the attacker spoke without being able to control himself. He would rather die than give the maniac any information. But it seemed he had no control over his mind.

"_Hunters?"_ the roaring voice repeated with an accent. He did not know the language well.

"Yes. There is a price for your heads."

The red eyes simply stared at him. It was like two floating balls of fire in the darkness of his mind.

"_A medic. Where?"_

He definitely could not speak their tongue. But he knew all the words that were important.

"Go west. There is a village in a meadow. A small hut near the woods – there is a medic."

The attacker tried biting his cheek to stop speaking, but was he really saying anything actually? No. These thoughts were extracted from his mind without his control. Damn bastard.

"_West. A house near the woods."_ The voice confirmed, coming with such a force that the hunter feared his mind would go deaf.

"Yes," he confirmed without wanting to do it at all.

* * *

Sasuke cast his genjutsu on the bounty-hunter, taking all the information he needed out of his head. The man in Susanoo's fist was shaking uncontrollably. Pathetic little roach.

Done with the questioning, he let him go and the attacker fell on the ground, coughing, vomiting and gasping for air. He slowly raised his face, wet with sweat. Gratitude could be seen in his face. He had given him information. And he would live in return.

The Uchiha smiled. His head leaned to the side. Blood was pouring from his eyes. The Mangekyo Sharingan glowed in the shadows of the trees. His eyes had not bled in years. But he did not care. He could not control himself right now. He didn't need to. He didn't care to.

Extending his chakra through the Kusanagi Sword, he slashed through the air carefully, he was still holding the girl in his arms.

The head of the attacker fell on the ground with a thud and the snowy ground soaked the dark liquid that poured from it and the headless body.

Finally dismissing the Susanoo, he walked to it and dug underneath the shirt. He took the medallion, a blue-stone hung from the chain. He put it in his pocket quickly, careful not to drop Hinata.

He knelled on the ground, keeping the girl in his embrace carefully. She was getting cold. Loosing too much blood.

Cursing, he bit his thumb and performed a combination of hand signs. A giant hawk appeared before him and he jumped on its back quickly. He headed west, hoping that the night would provide them some shelter from the unwanted eyes. It had to. It just had to…

* * *

**_Note:_**

_Such a long chapter! I apologize :D More of my babbling will follow after the second, final part of the Prequel. Check it out._


	2. Chapter 2

The bird had just touched the ground when Sasuke jumped off it and landed in a feline manner. His red eyes were stuck to the paling girl in his arms. The bleeding had ceased. But she was too cold. Alive. But barely.

His hands were shaking. Was it from the icy wind and low temperature? It had to. He refused the slightest thought of even being capable of panicking.

He managed to look away from her face and stared right ahead. There was a small field in front of him. In it lay an even smaller house, smoke coming out of its chimney. There was a very faint light flickering in one of the windows. Probably a dying candle.

There was someone in there, but no one else around. The hut itself was not too far of the nearby village, but was isolated enough. It was the middle of the night. No one was around. He had to risk it.

Taking a step, he left the shadowy cover of the forest and stepped into the clearing. He quickened his pace. In the end he felt he was running but couldn't stop. Digging his heels in the snow, he stood before the wooden door. On the other side was only silence.

Raising the hand that was supporting Hinata by the feet he banged on it. The lack of response only made him more frantic. He knocked again, the loud sound piercing the quiet evening.

He could not wait any longer, she was freezing. And he was shaking madly, probably due to the cold as well. He refused blaming this to anything else. About to crash his heel at the door, he jumped a few feet back, his red eyes fixed on the target up front, ready to burn it with his dark blazing fire.

But he froze. On the other side of the now open door stood a woman, quite old. She reminded him of Nekobaa for a moment but he shook his head. He couldn't make such mental connections. This woman was a stranger, he could not trust her.

He stared at her, noticing her brown, determined gaze on him. She moved slowly, stepping aside.

"What are you staring at, boy! Come in before you both freeze!"

Sasuke blinked. This woman spoke his language. Very bad and with a thick, awful accent. Could she have anything to do with the Great Healer? He should not have come.

The woman rolled her eyes and stepped outside, squinting at the coldness that soaked through her galoshes. "I know who you are, boy," she called, taking one more step ahead. "And I don't care what mess you are in. Come in, let me see if I can save her."

His fingers were shaking. He felt his feet weak, as if he would fall on his knees. He was losing his grip on the girl. _See if she can save her…_

Straightening up, he blinked, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan. He watched as the woman took a step back, obviously startled by this. With a quick pace, the man walked ahead, passing by the lady, headed inside.

The dim light revealed a wide, spacious room with a few empty beds. A small table was placed on his left. There was a fireplace, a few cupboards and shelves, all full with interesting bottles and things he was sure a medic would use.

The sound of the closing door caught him completely off guard and he jumped, backing away from it. The woman stared at him, a tired expression on her face.

"You damn criminals. Always coming here with someone dying, not even minding to show some manners." She walked past him until she reached one of the beds. "Come on, boy, put her here."

After a moment of considering it, the Uchiha decided that he had no other choice. He obeyed, putting Hinata on the bed as carefully as he could. To his surprise, the woman stepped ahead pushing him with her hand out of her way. The man rubbed his chest, interested in the amount of strength she had for her ears.

"What happened?" she asked with her thick accent. She was talking slowly, struggling with the words.

"We were attacked."

"Of course you were attacked, boy! I am asking what happened to her. Where was she hit? I see the wound only on her head. Does she have any other injuries?"

He blinked. "She was struck in the back. A Lightning attack. It sent her crashing to a tree and-"

But he didn't finish. The woman almost gasped as her hands were both grabbed and held in the air, way above her head. The eyes in front of her had strange patterns in them, a combination of crimson red and onyx black. This was the boy from the posters, no doubt.

"Let me go, boy! I have yet to check-"

"What were you doing just now?" he interrupted, speaking through his grit teeth. The medic had tried touching Hinata's face in a strange manner.

"There is blood on her face, for god's sake! Let me check her before it is too late!"

The two exchanged angry looks for a moment. Then he did let her go and watched her rub her wrists, mumbling something in her foreign language.

Her bony fingers opened the Hyuuga's mouth and she looked inside. "Ah, she had bit her tongue. I was afraid she could have swallowed it."

Sasuke folded his hands on his chest and also leaned over the girl. He wanted to see everything that the woman was doing. "Her nose was bleeding."

"You already told me you were attacked."

"No, that's not it. She was having nosebleeds before that. And a headache I believe. Although this could have been because…" _Because of overusing her Byakugan_, he intended to say, but decided not to share so many details. "I think she was getting sick," he finished.

"Was she having a fever? Was she eating properly?" The woman had removed the cloak from the girl and was unbuttoning her black jacket. Seeing that he did not intend of answering she shook her head in disapproval. "You should know these things, boy."

"Stop calling me a boy. And I know them. She did not have a fever, at least that I am aware of. Maybe she was a bit warmer than usual this morning-"

"And is she eating well? What have you been feeding her?"

He answered with a death glare and the woman returned her attention to the girl. She was in a very bad condition. She had lost a lot of blood and was feverish. Something was not right.

"Go sit over there. I need to take her shirt off and see if there is any internal damage."

The boy stared at her with those same awful eyes but did not move, his expression blank. "I am not going anywhere," he explained, his voice low and frighteningly serious.

"For god's sake, boy! I am not going to let you see her like that! Have some manners."

"I don't have to."

She looked at him then realized what he had meant. They were lovers. There was no need to worry for the girl's dignity.

"Ah, fine. But don't be in my way."

Removing her shirt, the woman checked the girl all over, not finding any damage on her torso. She let the boy turn the wounded one on her side and stared at her back. There was a burn mark just between her shoulder-blades, but the wound was skin-deep. Nothing internal. She touched her skin here and there, feeling that her muscles and organs were intact. But the energy that flowed inside her was severely disrupted.

Hurrying to the corner of the room, the woman poured steaming water in a large bowl and placed a few dried herbs in it, watching as the liquid turned dark. Returning to the girl she soaked a small towel and placed it on the wound on her head.

"This will close the wound and clear it from any bacteria or infection. Hand me this chair, boy. I need to meditate."

Sasuke did kick the small stool her way but was in front of her before the woman could lean in and sit. Her wrists were in his grip again.

She had reached in and taken a medallion from her woolen shirt. A yellow, transparent jewel hung on the golden chain. He watched it with both disgust and anger.

"This is-"

"I know what it is," he interrupted. "Don't dare use it on her."

"I will not use it _on_ her, I will use it on myself, for god's sake! I am old. I store my power here. If you know what this is you should know how it works."

He blinked, still staring at the yellow stone.

"Come on already," the woman called, trying to break away from his painful grip. And to her surprise he did let her go. He walked to the wall and leaned on it with his back, his arms folded on his chest. He stared at the unconscious girl, laying on her side her. He could see her face perfectly that way.

"I will meditate now," the old woman explained, looking at the boy. He barely managed to take his eyes off the wounded girl and shift them to her. "Do not interrupt me. I will try restoring her balance and energy. Hopefully I will manage to heal her fracture as well. I am too old, it may not work."

With these words, the woman leaned on the bed with her elbows, letting her chin rest on her chest. With one hand she was clutching the medallion, the other she placed on the Hyuuga's head gently. Closing her eyes, she fell silent.

Sasuke stood there, watching this, thinking that he was completely insane to trust this woman. Completely insane to be in such situation in the first place. He really should not have involved the girl in his schemes. Nothing good could come from being around him.

Clenching his jaw, he watched the woman move her lips. The medic was chanting something. With his Sharingan he followed the words, but could understand only a few. Blood. Spirit. Energy. Help.

He looked away. His hands were shaking again, his feet felt weak once more and he wasn't even cold! Hissing, he let his legs give in and slid on the wall, sitting on the floor. He placed his folded hands on top of his knees and dug his head in the darkness of his chest. He had to calm down. He had to. It was completely out of the question for him to feel like that. He had to stay focused. But found no strength to even stand up.

In the end he simply decided to stay on the floor and concentrate on breathing evenly. Was he getting sick as well? Such sensations were not usual to him. He stood there for what appeared like hours. Listening at the whispers that came from the woman's direction. He remembered the blue-stoned medallion he had in his pocket. Taking it out, he felt it buzzing with energy. At first it was strange, then he figured it out. Whatever was inside it was reacting to the chanting. He put it back and stood up.

Hinata's face looked better. There was a faint flush on her cheeks and her eyebrows were no longer knotted in pain. She appeared peaceful. Slowly he raised his hand and touched her forehead with his fingertips. Her fever was going away.

With a loud exhale the old woman rose up, carefully putting the jewel back under her shirt. Her slim and tiny hands moved to the girl in front of her. She removed the towel from the back of her scull to see that the wound had closed. Only a thin, faint line underneath her beautiful dark hair indicated that there had ever been a cut there. The mark on her back was completely gone.

She fiddled around until she managed to finally put the shirt back on the girl. Then the blouse, then the jacket. It was important that she staid warm now.

The black-haired boy was staring at the medic with eagerness. Yet, he was seemingly trying to be as calm as possible. As much as he was succeeding, she could see the worry in his strange eyes.

"She will be fine," the woman explained, her voice faint. Such sessions always made her very tired. "Provided that you take care of her properly."

Sasuke didn't answer. He walked to the bed and placed his palm on Hinata's face. It seemed like she had recognized his touch as her expression showed comfort.

The man took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The strength had suddenly returned to him, his hands steady, his feet strong. He turned to the old lady with the most serious look she had ever seen in her long life.

"What was wrong with her?"

"She was in a very bad condition, but the head trauma was her least problem. Those headaches had messed her orientation and energy circulation."

"Do you mean the chakra-flow?"

The woman smiled a witty smile. "Probably. I am not too good with that strange language of yours."

"How do you know it anyway?"

"Ah," she noted, then laughed. "Long ago when I was still young I met someone from your lands, running and hiding, just like you. We spent some good time together."

The smile on her lips was warm. Those were good memories.

"Did you teach this someone the methods of healing?"

She blinked, then laughed again. "Ah, so you have met the Great Healer? Poor you. The pesky old bastard. Tell him Amara sends her greetings if you happen to see him."

"Surely," the man noted with a cold tone and returned his eyes to the Hyuuga. She was lying calmly on her back, clothed and seemingly better. "So when will she wake up?"

The woman gave him a scolding look. "Don't be in such haste, boy! The girl went through a lot of pain, she needs to rest. Besides, you are quite lucky. If you had been only a few minutes late, this would have turned into a miscarriage."

Fiddling with a clean towel, the medic started cleaning the blood off the girl, watching as the boy stiffened, then froze completely. His eyes had gone crimson. His gaze was moving rapidly, finally fixing on the girl's stomach. Amara had cleaned all stains of blood when he finally turned his face to stare at her.

"You didn't know?" she asked.

"No." His voice was faint, almost a whisper.

"She probably didn't know either. It is still too early to notice it easily. Did you manage to see it with your eyes?"

"Yes."

The medic watched him for some time then frowned. This girl was too beautiful. If the boy decided he did not want the child… Poor girl.

"What will you do now?"

Slowly, he turned his eyes to her again. They were completely black now. He seemed strangely calm, his expression still completely blank.

"I cannot tell you this."

"Why?"

"Because I will not trust you with our future whereabouts."

"What whereabouts?" The woman laughed, meeting his angry expression. "You have nowhere to go, I am sure. Besides, I was not asking about where you would hide. I was asking what you will do."

Sasuke stared at her, realizing what he meant. Smirking, he looked away. He did not answer, just looked outside the small window on his right. But it was clear to the woman that he had changed completely. He was not the frantic maniac who had entered her house a few hours ago.

He was a boy, no, _a young man, _who was happy that his lover and child were both safe, no matter how his strange persona revealed his emotions.

"When will she wake up?" he asked again, still looking away, his face curled in that strange expression similar to a smile.

"In a few hours probably. Now put this on your shoulder. Don't give me this look, I see the blood. Just put this on before the wound gets infected. I have no strength to save a third life tonight."

The Uchiha blinked, but took the towel wet with the potion she had made for Hinata and put it underneath his shirt. He had completely forgotten of the wound he had received by that damn iron arrow. His eyes traced the old woman as she went to one of the free beds and lay on it. She gave him one more look.

"My old bones ache, I need some rest. Be a dear and keep an eye on her. If something worries you, wake me up instead of trying something stupid." She turned her back to him.

Sasuke took the small wooden chair and sat next to Hinata, resting his head on the edge of her bed. Looking through the window he started recalling everything. The dizziness in her, the pain. The nosebleeds. These were not normal symptoms for a pregnancy. But then it hit him.

She had become much better after he had shared his chakra with her earlier in the day. And that was exactly what was causing her problems. His chakra. The child must bear it as well.

Byakugan and Sharingan users had extremely powerful abilities. Their chakras were quite alike, but too different at the same time. And Hinata's energy was simply struggling to cope with his power inside of her. Her body was just not used to it.

She was fine now. But would this not return at a point? He had to discuss it with the medic. But not now. The old lady deserved her rest. He knew well enough how much effort it took to cooperate with the spirit in the medallions, not to talk about working with it.

"Sasu?"

His head shot up, eyes crimson. He rose, staring at the white eyes that had a faint blue color now I the evening light. The girl slowly rose up as well, supporting herself on her elbows and stared at him. He looked tired. Dark circles rested below his eyes, he was pale, his hair exceptionally messy. With a slow motion she touched his cheek, feeling his cool skin.

"Where are we?" she asked, but before she could look around he was already holding her in his arms. She froze for a moment, then eased up, enjoying the feeling of his touch, his scent. She tried to recall the last thing she remembered. The fight!

She tried to speak, but he leaned in, kissing her. And still, there was something strange in the way he touched her. He wasn't using his usual strength, his usual roughness was really faint. His shoulder…

"Are you okay? You are woonded. What is happening?"

He looked at her, a faint smirk curling his gorgeous lips. She felt a blush overwhelm her face, warming her cheeks. She wanted to kiss him some more.

"I am fine, calm down." He explained. The two exchanged looks for a long moment.

"Then what is going on?" She sat up and he joined her on the bed.

Taking her in his arms, her face was soon buried in his chest, and still she could see an old woman sleeping on one of the beds in the room. This probably explained the whispering.

"You will be fine," the man explained in a murmur.

His strange behavior was confusing her. "Sasuke, what is going on?"

His black eyes moved to her white ones. Yin and Yang, he thought for a moment. They were the perfect match. And he loved it.

"Sasu," she started again, cupping his face with her hand. Oh how he loved this little nickname she used for him.

"You are pregnant."

Her white eyes blinked. Then blinked again. She parted her lips. "W-what?"

"You are pregnant," he repeated. "We will have a child."

His voice was low, calm, even cold. But the smirk on his lips was giving him away. She could not remember the last time she had seen him like this.

Then it hit her. She was pregnant? She was pregnant. She was pregnant! Clutching her stomach with her hands, she activated her Byakugan and stared at her tummy. It took her minutes to notice a slight disturbance in her chakra flow. No, it wasn't disturbance. It was just… A small, little dot with a different chakra pattern. With Sasuke's chakra.

She raised her eyes, feeling tears wet her cheeks, warming her skin. She dug her head in his chest again. She was happy. And she was happy that he was happy as well. Hinata knew that things had yet to become more complicated. But they would figure out a way.

* * *

"When the time comes I will be here," the old woman explained.

It was sunrise and they were leaving her little hut. Hinata thanked the medic and bowed to her, which seemed a strange custom for the old lady. They did not bow in these lands. Sasuke only nodded. He watched as the woman smiled to them. And he had intended to kill her. But she was a simple healer. One of those that healed people out of goodness.

He turned to her. "Look, I don't have money to repay you."

"My boy, don't be ridiculous. You know I am not interested in money, I do this because-"

But her brown eyes shimmered with excitement. The Uchiha held the golden chain with the blue stone before her, the one that he had kept in his pocket.

"Take it, I don't want it. It will be in more use to you."

He left it in her palm, hurrying to summon the hawk, helping Hinata up. Climbing up as well, he stared at the woman once more before heading to the morning sky.

_What a lovely couple_, the woman thought. And this medallion – it would help her health drastically. God bless the boy.

* * *

Blue eyes followed the giant bird, watching it rise in the sky, going higher and eventually hiding out of sight.

For a moment he had been ready to burst in the small house and do something to save her. But he could not interfere. And he didn't need to anyway. Sasuke, as mad as he was, knew exactly what he was doing, as usual.

He had just wanted to make sure they were fine. And they were. Yokatta!

Smiling, Uzumaki Naruto headed back to the Shinobi world. He had a meeting with the Tsuchikage to attend to.

* * *

_Note:_

_Finally I managed to write this! I am so glad with how it turned out. And to clarify again, this is not the actual Sequel to "The Madness of an Enchanting Obsession". This is the Prequel to the Sequel. There won't be further chapters to follow of this story. When I continue with the Sequel it will be a separate story. And this should happen soon enough. Please be patient with me, I have one month to finish my thesis that will determine my education._

_Anyway, pleeeeeeeeeeease do tell me what you think of this. I really hope you enjoyed it._

_A very, **VERY Special** thank you to Dragonindigo, for being a lovely and passionate helper, translator, friend and awesome person! I owe you a lot, girl! _

_P.S. When I start the actual Sequel, I will update this story here, so whoever will follow only this can know, for your convenience._

_See you soon!_


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